Internal National Organization for Marriage (NOM) documents, which are part of an investigation regarding campaign finance activities by the state of Maine, have revealed an insidious plot to encourage Black and Latino voters to actively reject same sex marriage as a civil right. These documents were brought to light by HRC (the Human Rights Campaign).

“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks—two key Democratic constituencies. Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage, develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots…”

Another passage:

“The Latino vote in America is a key swing vote, and will be so even more so in the future, both because of demographic growth and inherent uncertainty: Will the process of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture lead Hispanics to abandon traditional family values? We must interrupt this process of assimilation by making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity – a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation.”

Oppressors have long played the game of divide and conquer to maintain their privilege. For this plan to work, one must first ignore that there are Black and Latino GLBT people, and that by turning against them and refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of marriage equality, heterosexual cisgender people of color, would in effect be denying our own people their civil rights. Heterosexism and racism are very different marginalizations, but they both work to actively oppress social minorities through the process of “othering” and institutionalized social inequality. To agree that anyone deserves separate and unequal treatment before the law undermines our own struggles for racial equality, because it supports the idea that difference legitimizes actively oppressing a minority population.

I find it interesting that they seek to portray GLBT spokespeople as racist, because it further shows bias on the part of NOM. There is no doubt that some members of the GLBT community have employed racist tactics to fight for marriage equality – specifically through repeated acts of appropriation, but that does not make their cause any less just; it simply signifies someone determined to use the master’s tools to destroy the master’s house.

NOM is only interested in race when it can be used as a weapon to attack another historically marginalized group. The everyday microaggressions that all people of color have to negotiate are of no interest, because to care about that would mean a true acknowledgement of the horror that is White supremacy. For NOM, racism is but a tool to achieve an end, rather than the soul crushing phenomenon that continues to lead to death, higher rates of incarceration, poverty, poor nutrition and health, as well as purposeful limited educational opportunities. What is patently obvious from the statements of people like Alan Keyes, is that there will always be a segment of communities of color, who will be quick to jump on this opportunity believing that their bigotry somehow grants them power and a separation from the great unwashed masses.

They always trying to divide someone, immigrants, people of color, gays/les , religions. I swear they do this because the day the disadvantaged people of the world actually stand together is the day the world will finally be a better place. I do not personally like the gay/les lifestyle deff not for me but you know what? That’s not my problem to deal with, if they want to marry and just live life then so be it I will vote for that any day. I can’t be apart of keeping another group down when I’m only 22 and done seen so much crap happen to black people on the news, people in my own neighborhood. And you know what the gays/les aren’t the ones with the guns hiding behind a badge killing young blacks and making the laws to keep my people in jail and on welfare stuck in the system. That’s another group altogether.

all this shows is that minorities are easily steered and manipulated by american-based, (often) right-wing, ngo’s. and that those organisations are adept at using paid ethnic spokes people and media to do it.

in unrelated news, when’s clutch going to run a pic of a black woman held lovingly by a white guy?

or when are all those posters going to show up to testify that `expanding their circle’ marrying a white man was the best thing they’ve ever done? it’s been almost a whole week now and nothing! lol.

i wonder if we’ll ever find out who THEIR funders are.

Ms. Information

Gay is NOT the new Black….sorry, two different types of struggles, two different stories and I will not support the notion that they are the same.

@ DM, there is NO convincing me sorry.,.I don’t care if the ghost of MLK came down and agreed with it..

DM

Not particularly trying to ‘convince’ you. It’s more so a response to your “two different types of struggles, two different stories” comment. Just wanted to point out that two *actual* architects of the civil rights movement disagree with that statement. To be so unequivocal is just interesting considering you are contradicting the people who crafted and lived the civil rights movement. Though I would never say they are the exact same, to disregard their similarity really does a disservice to both.

Ms. Information

Sexual orientation and race are two separate identifiers. I am black before I open my mouth. Before I can say what my sexual orientation is – my skin color is shown. It is very interesting that Mrs. King agrees with this being that she is a Christian. Even so, everyone is entitled to their own opinion…mine just happens to be that the gay struggle is minuscule to the black struggle.

maria

Sorry but what does being gay have to do with black? As a black AND latina woman I won’t support the gay marriage movement not because some white person with a cute sign told me to, but because its against the word of God. Why is it that we have to support everything? And since when were gays lynched and enslaved? Last time I checked the white gay guys at my job were moving up the corporate ladder and my black self is still struggling to get promoted.

You do realize that GLBT people are both Black and Latino right? Hiding behind your religion to deny their rights is oppressing your own people. For the record, since you are relying on the bible, Jesus didn’t have a single negative word to say about homosexuality. Do you presume to know more than he does on this issue?

White gay men still exist with White privilege, but that does not mean that heterosexism is not an issue for them. It is more than possible to be privileged in one area and marginalized in another. For instance you state that you are a WOC, but if you are able bodied, straight, and cisgender, you have plenty of unacknowledged privilege.

Nobody is asking people to support anything but basic human rights. Being gay should not damned people on earth. If you’re a believer in God, let him handle that- not you. Don’t carry my sins because I’m definitely not trying to carry yours. So many times we try to impose our religious views into law and then want to justify. If you’re truly an affirmative believer in the word of God then you will let him show his mercy, grace and whatever other coined word of refuge he will show to those who identify against his will. Somehow hate is against the word of God but we can just glare over that and just focus on bashing the gays because it’s the ONLY sin, I assume?

Nat

Umm… The Bible speaks about homosexuality multiple times: “Homosexual acts are an abomination to God” and “God kills everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah” (verses)

all this proves is that ethnic groups are easily steered and manipulated by american-based, often right-wing, ngo’s. and that they are adept at using ethnic spokes people and media to do it.

in unrelated news, when’s clutch going to run a pic of a black woman held lovingly by a white guy? or when are all those posters going to show up to testify that `expanding their circle’ marrying a white man was the best thing they’ve ever done? it’s been almost a whole week now and nothing! lol.

Gryph,
ethnic groups like conservative white people are more likely to be ‘easily manipulated’ by these groups because of their over reliance on Fox Noise and conservafool talk radio shows for their information

lol

By the look of these comments, looks like they have been successful. Where in the bible does it say that homosexuality is “against God” lol, y’all slay me with your selective religious laws. These same manipulative interpretations of the bible were used to justify slavery and deniy women the vote.